Journalism, Campaign Hackery. What's the Difference?

Matt Welch | January 27, 2009

Funny Columbia Journalism Review interview with the Weekly Standard's Michael Goldfarb, about his time on the payroll of GOP presidential candidate John McCain:

KK: So now you're back at The Weekly Standard. Can we expect to see something from you with the inside scoop on the final days of the McCain campaign?

MG: I don't think there's an appetite for it. I think the truth will out at some point. If the media was remotely competent, it would have reported that story by now. It's a great process story, which is what the media loved most.

KK: Now that you're back in journalism, is there a conflict of interest in covering anything relating to the McCains and the campaign?

MG: We have an agenda at The Weekly Standard. It's overt. McCain was fairly well in line with that agenda, out of all the candidates. I think it's ridiculous when you see the stuff on the other side. Jay Carney is going to be the communications director for the vice president. I mean, Time is not supposed to be an ideological magazine. I don't have a problem with that, either, but when people got bent out of shape with me going over there—this wasn't a major shift for me. This was the same thing as before.

I've written plenty on the McCain/Weekly Standard connection over the years; begin here.

Comments

|1.27.09 @ 3:23PM|#

Matt, I really dig your journalism coverage. Always makes me feel a little bit like I'm sneakily peeking at an adulterer through the blinds...

|1.27.09 @ 3:29PM|#

I agree with the headline...

..|1.27.09 @ 3:48PM|#

This cat has been out of the bag for a long time now. Bernie Goldberg's Bias was published in 2002, after all. The only interesting thing is how many so-called "journalists" still deny it.

|1.27.09 @ 4:11PM|#

Hackery, shmackery. Where's my check?

"I'm gonna get me some of that candyfied methamphetamine and a fourteen year old prostitot."

|1.27.09 @ 4:54PM|#

Stop calling pundits and opiners journalist. Once that happens, you'll see news isn't really isn't that biased. Nothing but boring facts that can fit in a 30 minute slot.

What's biased about gunman kills 7 at Bumfuck Mall?

|1.27.09 @ 4:58PM|#

Don't blame me for 2 isn't, my proof reader works at Fox News. He came over from the NY Times.

jb|1.27.09 @ 9:54PM|#

It's only a hack if I disagree with the stated position.